Hi everyone!
I have lost the track of how many days we have been in quarantine. After a couple of weeks I just couldn't keep counting by days, or weeks, and I decided to just focus in taking the best from this chaos.
For those who doesn't know me, I am a Fashion Designer, have worked for a long time in Styling, Digital Marketing and, I also own an online beachwear boutique, with my cousin, that you can check here. And today I brought some reflections to ourselves, in order to help us to prepare for the after-pandemic period.
Many brands and companies, specially in the Fashion industry, are having the dilemma of finding the balance between serving and being conscientious about the whole crisis that is affecting the w h o l e w o r d! How can we keep buying/selling without being selfish - and not giving the right importance for the corona virus?!
Some brands have started helping as they can and here comes a list of some ideas that can help you and your brand:
1. Chanel has donated more than 1,2mi € to the public health system, in France.
2. Burberry is investing on the search for Corona's shot, that are happening in the Oxford University, in England.
3. Jacquemus and Zara have suspend their photoshoot and the models are taking their own pics, from home.
4. YSL has announced that they are not presenting their new collection in the Paris Fashion Week, in the end of the year. They assure that the fashion calendar need some changes and they will introduce their new collections by their own dates, from now on.
Fashion Week's calendar is up to change drastically and Fashion, as we know, can no longer operate in our society. Many designers have consider editing their collections and the way they produce new products. Others have rethink how their image is affecting people's consume and the society. More than ever, being human is deeply necessary for any and every brand.
Other brands has designed face masks, created product that can help and attract customers and other marketing solutions to help prevent their colapse.
Other bigs stores, such as Macy's, are seeking for new loans and, Neiman Marcus has declared bankruptcy.
It's scary to face how the corona virus has affected every person in the world. Since the health system, to the economy and psychological care. We all have been wondering how the world will look like after the quarantine, after the shot against this virus be released. Many small business, specially in retail, have suffer a huge impact from the actual economic crises. Governments need to approve more loans and incentives to the entrepreneurs and this is just the beginning.
So, what can we do to help the society and ourselves? I would say: let's respect the quarantine, understand it's importance and how can make a huge difference in a couple of months; let's support small business - for now, only pharmacies, restaurants, groceries shop etc are open, so chose the small ones, from your neighborhood and buy from them; wear face masks and, if possible, make them and distribute through the people you know or in needy communities.
Clearly we, from small business, need to still selling to survive. So I would say: as more respectful and conscientious way, better. This is not the time to sell with no reason, to buy just to buy. We have so many causes that we can help and support... Brands need to still branding, but in the most conscientious way.
We need all to work and think together. As much as we help now, sooner we will start heading back to our 'normal' lives.
And, for 'normal' I mean, new. It's the right time to reflect about your life and what you want from it. We can do and be better.
Hope you all are safe and healthy!
And may we all be consciente and helpful in these times. <3
This text was inspired by a post from @stealthelook